Sam and I were walking down the busy street of Jefferson. The multiple shops in the evening when the sun cast its beautiful orange, yellow, and red light, changed the area into a beautiful painting. I would have thought that I had been transported into a different time zone with the way the atmosphere looked. There was a magical aura around it, as in the old times.
A tourist wagon with a horse pulling a couple in its cart passed by. The clippy clop of its hooves echoed as the couple giggled. Another followed off in the distance as the stone bridge dwarfed overhead.
"Where is the Midnight Store?" Sam asked, whispering to me. We were both walking down the sidewalk, looking for any signs over the stores to figure out where we were. Cars passed around the carted horses, while many people walked around in the tourist section.
"It should….be around here." We took a right turn, ending up in a dead end.
"Is this the right place?" Sam asked, looking at me. "It's a dead end," he stopped behind me.
"Give me a second." I walked to the side, noticing a door to the right. A rickety old sign was overhead, saying Midnight Store. Then I stopped pedaling backward, then looked at the front. Someone posted "Midnight Store" on top as well. "Did you notice the sign before we came to the dead end?"
"No, I remember it saying Lucky Rabbit."
"Same, that's weird." I looked back and forth, wondering if I was seeing things. "Which way should we enter?"
Sam took a moment, squinting before speaking, "My gut's telling me we should go through the side."
"Mine too."
We both moved forward. Sam led as he opened the door. The moment we stepped in, a waft of dragon's blood incense lingered in the air. A huge case of gemstones of different rocks laid out and. Some gems lay under bright light, while others were scrunched together, forming a rock cluster. Baskets of dried plants, incense in boxes, and metaphysical books lined the shelves.
"Welcome," a chirpy young lady spoke out, catching our attention. She was leaning against the glass case. Her hair was a tangled mess, adorned with a multitude of gemstone bracelets and necklaces etched with indecipherable symbols. "Are you looking for something?"
Sam beeline straight for her. "We're looking for specific information."
The lady tilted her head; there was a spark in her eyes, but she didn't react.
"We have many magical items for seances, protection, and many other things."
"No, we're looking more for information and to put a hit on someone."
The lady's smile became wide, malicious. I saw the darkness around her flare out as she gazed at us with joy. Bumps on my skin rose, screaming at me that danger was here.
Sam gazed at me, both of us understanding each other without words.
"Please come this way." The lady walked around the counter; there was a pep to her step. She whistled in a low hum.
We followed, my steps following at the same pace as Sam. A twisted knot formed in my guts, wrenching and screaming not to go any further.
I reached out, grasping Sam's hand. I mouthed, are you sure we should check this out?
Sam shook his head no.
I gave him a curt nod, ready to turn around and leave.
The lady snapped around, stopping in front of the door. She opened it with a snap of her fingers, and the door screamed as it opened. "Go in, nobody's going to bite." She chuckled at her own joke.
My mouth opened and closed, unable to speak a word. Sam gripped my hand once, then let me go. "I don't think-"
The lady cut me off; her voice became deep. "Scarlet Gibbons. We know why you are here. Step through, child of the fallen."
I froze, staring at her. My heart palpating. What the hell. I don't remember telling her my name, and what did she mean, child of the fallen?
Then the lady snapped her head at a weird angle that made me flinch, turning to Sam. "Your wife, Sam Gibbons, will you run away or would you take a chance to wake her up?" Same snarled, "How do you know?" He reached out to grab the lady with his hand.
A sharp hum of power snapped around her as a whirl of dark shadows spilled out of her amulet. Her eyes turned black, and her lips showed off her crooked teeth. Sam's hand recoiled, leaving a sting. "What would a warrior like you be able to do to me?" She snorted, "I work for the ruler, and you have no jurisdiction here."
"You conniving witches and your ruler, what mischief do you have planned?" Sam glowered, a hum of his hand turned pure white. A sword of light formed in his hand.
"I would put that away, warrior. You're here for information, not a battle, are not you ?" The lady spoke. "We don't mind not sharing."
"Your words hold no weight." Sam snarled.
"But you are here." The lady waved her hand up and down at him, "Searching for an answer that your God has not shared. Or…have you been having trouble connecting?" A glee formed in her smile.
Sam frowned.
The lady's lips burst with a chortle of glee as she clapped her hands out loud. "Oh, how sweet this is ? The soldier boy and the…." she swiveled her head at a weird angle, staring at me, "guard?" She tilted, her smile becoming small. "What are you?"
A blast of stale air that smelled of rotten eggs blew through the open door, rattling everything around them.
The lady straightened up; she motioned her hand. "He is waiting."
Sam walked ahead of me, putting his hand out as his sword of light glimmered. The sword's warmth was a comforting embrace, yet it seared away any encroaching darkness. It wiggled, pulling away just as quickly as it attempted to reach out.
We walked. Our footsteps tapped the marble floor until we entered a large room. Marble pillars decorated with plants trailed up the columns. The entire room was a greenhouse with many plants, flowers, and even trees. There was a trickle of water that fell down one of the walls like a waterfall.
In the middle of the room was a large wooden table with a miniature model city of Hillmont County. A tall woman, with a gentle appearance, stood next to it. She wore a light white cashmere shirt and brown fluffy pants. Her hair was blazing red like the sun, and the moment she turned her gaze at us was empty and black. She possessed an unearthly beauty.
"Well, it's good to see the Gibbons family here. My name is Avaritia." She stood straight, her shoulders back.
"You know us?" Sam spoke, his white sword held in front of him.
"Oh, please. Stop waving your toothpick in front of me. You'll poke a hole in my plants." Avaritia waved her hand, a little annoyed. "It's rarely a soldier and a guardian appears at my doorstep. I would have thought your kind would have preferred to live in the heavens, but look at you here. It seems you're considered the rare few that stayed." She chuckled. "Which means you're susceptible to the fall."
Avaritia walked around the table with light steps. She first walked around Sam, sniffing his scent. "Still new in your power, holding on to the connection. And….oh? A wife, sleeping away, unable to wake up because of a curse. A nasty one at that."
Sam growled, "What do you know, demon?"
Avaritia shrugged, "Why should I give you an answer? I want equal trade of value."
"I will slay you right here!"
Avaritia burst out laughing, "You can not. You know, I could hold this territory, what right were you given to attack?" She tilted her head, "Nothing." Her hand reached out, dabbing his black and gold t-shirt. When her finger even touched the very fabric, a hissing and burning sound followed, burning her fingers. She didn't let go and continued to trail around him. "Still malleable and still too young to understand when to draw your sword and when not to."
I watched. Something about the way Avaritia spoke told me volumes about her being ancient. How ancient, since the dawn of human consciousness.
Avaritia stopped, letting her finger pull away, and she walked toward me. Her eyes wide, and her brows furrowed. "What are you?"
Her dark gaze bored into me, trying to figure out what I was. Even I didn't know what I was. I heard stories from my mother, but she never explained it to us. My brother and I were still swimming in the unknown of our heritage.
"Your father's side of the family, a bloodline so old that the fallen messengers run through your veins, but this…" Avaritia looked up and down, walking once, twice, and three times still unsure. "Your mother and father were hiding something, and to see that they hid someone like you." She took a deep sniff as she waved her hand in front of her to draw in more.
Avaritia stopped, her eyes blinked open, dilating. "A secret. Hidden." She spat on the ground, damn old man. "Always playing with his tricks," she snapped, her attention turning to me as she straightened herself up.
"You're saying that my parents have come here?" I spoke, shocked to hear that. "Why would they associate with you?"
"Why wouldn't they? We all have our place in this world, and your parents were doing their job. This is my kingdom," Avaritia stepped back, waving her hand around. "My rules don't stop her, fledging." She waved in front of the county map.
The entirety of Hillmont and the entire state of Georgia lit up and came to life, moving in real time. "You humans don't understand the gist of the territory our kind holds," she chuckled. "If you only knew." She boasted; a snarky smile reached up to her ears.
I frowned, "I heard you have little jurisdiction in the real world. Look at you, trapped in a human body." I waved my hand in front of me, motioning it up and down. "Without permission from the so-called human, you're just a spirit, and what can you even do without the rules?"
"Silence," Avaritia hissed, a quiver of darkness spilling out of her body. "Just because your brother and you are touched, doesn't mean I don't get to rough you up." She snarled.
A blast of darkness spilled out like a fountain, smashing against the walls and the very room. The energy blackened the very atmosphere, causing the entire room to dim.
With a wave of Sam's sword, it sliced through the smoggy atmosphere. Cutting it in half, turning his very sword into a light beam. A barrier was around me, protecting me from any darkness. The light splintered through the smog, eradicating everything around him. Avaritia stumbled back, raising her hand to cover the light. She hissed, her face distorting into pure anger.
In a fury, her skin bled black, cracking her very skin. "How dare you!" she chortled in vehemence. Every second, her body turned grey, peeling away the abhorrence hidden in human skin. A crack formed.
"Tell us what you know!" Sam shouted, his sword held in front of him. "Or your life is forfeit, demon."
A cackle burst out from Avaritia's mouth; her whole body disintegrated. "Ask your sister; she knows who she works for. Ask those wretched wolves." With a burst, her human body collapsed, leaving behind a ghostly figure of shadow with horns and a misshapen body. Sickly fingers and multiple faces adorned her whole body. The once beautiful lady was gone, and in her place was an abomination. "You vile soldier! I'll come for you, mark my words! Your wife will be working under me, and when she does, I'll be coming for you next!"
"Shut up!" Sam ran in, sword blazing. He jumped, slashing down with blinding fury that cut the spirit in half.
I gaped at my brother, looking at him. "Well, that's one way to enter." I snorted, shaking at my hot-headed brother.
"Have you forgotten? Never trust a demon's words. They all lie; no one spills the truth."
"Well, yeah." I crossed my arms in front of me. "Though we have a lead."
Sam whipped his sword, flicking the black blood off his white, glowing blade. I don't know how demon blood stuck. The glow of the sword flickered. He waved his hand, and his sword disappeared.
"She said You know who they are."
"Me?" I looked at him funny. "The only one she mentioned was who I worked for. Regis Corporation."
"Meaning, your information on who the murder of our family is in that company." Sam walked over, placing his hand on my shoulder. "If it's Daimon Regis.." He said no more, catching my gaze.
"I know what to do. Blood for blood." I growled. "I haven't stepped away from that promise, brother."
Sam said nothing more; he walked past me, leaving me alone. My shoulder felt heavy. An uncomfortable stuffiness grew in my chest. My chest squashed the small inkling of pleasant emotions that I harbored. I turned around and walked out.
The entire store felt less oppressive than when we had come. The strange lady whom we met wasn't there at the register anymore, but someone different. She possessed a lightness. "Hello!" She waved her hand.
"Hello," I nodded.
"I hope you have a successful day!"
We both left, leaving the store. We walked out, heading toward a secluded area as the night welcomed us. Silence was our friend as we didn't talk with one another. We found a rundown building a few blocks away. We climbed up the broken stairs until we ended up on the roof.
Sam paced back and forth. He stopped and then looked off in the distance. He did it again, making me feel uncomfortable.
"Sam," I called out.
He didn't hear me as he kept pacing.
"Sam!" I snapped, getting annoyed at his pacing.
"What?" Sam turned around.
"We will find how to break your wife's curse."
Sam huffed, "I know. We will." His shoulder deflated. "I just…"
"Let's go home; thinking about it won't solve anything. We can take it one day at a time."
"Yeah." Sam took off his jacket; he spread his pure white wings. I couldn't help but look at it with longing and awe. Compared to the black wing I had, something about him gave off a peaceful, serene, and otherworldly feel and look. I lost that around my mind and even lost my peace of mind.
We both took off into the sky, flying back home.
I landed, tucking my wings. Sam grew angry. I could tell that what we went through brought a shift in his energy. We walked in through the door and sat down. His kids were being watched by a close family friend who knew what they were. Sharing our secrets was something we didn't do often and kept it guarded.
Sitting down, I leaned back. "Sam, sit down."
Sam paced back and forth. He walked over. Taking a deep breath.
"We will not let a demon outwit us."
"I know." Sam gritted his teeth.
"You sent her back; it's going to take time."
"I know," Sam leaned back, pushing his hair back. "I will not let her tear our family apart. We're going to renovate this land, Sarah."
"What?" I sat up straight, confused.
"I'm going to start construction to fence our land and start building buildings. My team still needs more time; they're on a mission for me. They'll need a place to live, and my company will be on this land, where I can work around my family."
"Wait. Wait. Wait," I threw up my hand, shocked at the sudden decision. "What? I thought it was our motto to stay hidden."
"No, we are locking down our assets and protecting what we have. We have been on the defensive for too long. My family, you, and my team are all I have. I'm done holding back, hiding away scared. We will not live like our parents, hidden away from the world." Sam leaned over, grabbing my hands. "I will ensure that people fear our name, Sarah. The Gibbons are us. We do not cower; instead, we stand. We only bow to the one.
I sighed. He was right. No more hiding; we are hunters in our own right. Not docile creatures. That image was a lie; I knew this. Heck, our father was a beast for fighting against his enemies. I remember one time as a child, when a dark shadow-enjoy being reached out to take me away in the middle of the night.
Screaming in fear, I woke up the entire house. My father ran into the room with blazing white flaming hands. He tackled the being like a pro football player, wrestling it down. With fury in his eyes, he ripped it apart and even hunted down the culprit who was behind it. A smile touched my lips, remembering that memory.
"Alright." I replied. Living by myself in secret has changed my habits. I didn't realize how quietly I was living until now. This wasn't us. "I'll pull some funds and transfer over to your business or personal account?"
"Dump it into my business account." Sam replied, "I'll send you a contract and the account number tomorrow. You will be a shareholder in the company."
"Okay, I'll get that done in the morning. Also, your team knows you are right?"
"Yep, that's why they work for me." Sam smirked. "You know who half the team are, as they are my sworn brothers. Plus, Mastermind Technological Company has been on the rise."
"Wait, that's your company?" Hearing that Mastermind Tech was his shocked me. I knew that this company was competing among the top five tech rising companies. He is leading as number one.
"Yeah, it was Dad's seed company before he passed. I have been growing it ever since their passing."
"Wow. I'm impressed. You made something out of yourself."
"Thanks."
I felt a little jealous. These past three years, I didn't think of making something out of myself but was bent on revenge, collecting information and scoring places for any drop of hints. "Alright, let's get this done. I'll help where I can."
Sam nodded. We continued planning. We agreed his team should not inhabit our sanctuary indefinitely. Building two buildings: one for his home office for his team, and the other a community housing that was a five stories apartment.
His point was that we would have guests and maybe other people like us if we found them as we continued through the night.